I was ripped off - but am i out of touch with morality?

[CornwallThrift]

I was so chuffed when i bought a brand new integrated multifunction microwave oven for £150 from a lady in Plymouth through FB marketplace (half new price). She had bought it as part of a new kitchen but didn't need it. My kitchen extension was substantially delayed & it was 6 months before my electrician was able to fit said oven. All of the digital controls etc worked perfectly, BUT it didn't microwave or heat up. Over Christmas this provided a brilliant distraction for visiting family and friends, who studied the manual, determined to find the button to make it work ...which they never did. My electrician upon recent visit had a peek inside & said it was not wired up & there were substantial parts missing in order that it was to work as an oven or microwave. He suspected it was a 'show' oven. I contacted the lady & asked for my money back (in return for me delivering item in same condition i purchased it). She refused & said that no shop would give money back after 6 months. I said this is irrelevant as no shop would sell an oven that didn't have the capability to heat. She immediately exited the 'chat'. I just wouldn't be able to sleep at night if i had ripped someone off like this (regardless of whether i knew or not?). Is it unreasonable to expect my money back?

I couldn’t do it to people either. Around here they name and shame on FB marketplace etc to make others aware.

It's an unfortunate situation to be in, but trying to return something 6 months after buying it from FB marketplace would be unreasonable, yes.
After 6 months it's hard to prove if it was mis-sold, or not installed properly, got damaged in storage, had parts go missing in storage etc.

They are some awful people around and we should always be on guard. It’s unfortunate that your kitchen was delayed as after 6 months you can’t really prove anything. It’s annoying I get it. I think it’s one to chalk down to experience.

Though to be honest even after a few days I’d doubt you’d get your money back. I don’t know much about Facebook marketplace but I guess no checks/guarantees?

It sounds like she didn't intentionally mislead you from what you've said. I'm genuinely staggered you expected her to refund you, even if an item you brought from a shop was faulty they are unlikely to refund you 6 months later unless you had a warranty on the item.

I wouldn't touch FB Marketplace with a bargepole as I have heard about lots of scams on there. Any secondhand electrical item needs to be checked quickly. I think six months later is too long a period and there isn't a lot you can do other than report to FB but I doubt they will actually DO anything. Yes it sounds like she scammed you if oven is wired up not to work.

https://www.facebook.com/help/1295340050874305?helpref=faqcontent

If she sold it to you as working when it clearly never could have worked then she is in the wrong, but the problem is that you have left it too long to get back to her. She may well have assumed it was working, and that you're now trying to scam her.

Do you think she knew up front that it was non-functional?

It doesn’t sound as though she knowingly sold it unworking, she didn’t need it and hadn’t used it. Why would she take your word for it six months later, when she has no idea what you’ve done with it in the meantime?

That's awful, OP. Scum like her will get their comeuppance one day because their greed will catch up with them, don't worry.

Better be safe than sorry next time and only buy close to fitting and from a shop that offers a good guarantee.

Of course she knew it was a show model. And she never denied it.

Hope someone sells her a dud car or something, the twat.

You needed to check that it worked when you bought it, then she might have been apologetic and refunded. Six months later though, I can see a reverse of this thread with you being called a CF.

What a horrible thing to happen OP. Most people out there are decent and I think you've just been unlucky here. Unfortunately when you buy things off a private seller you don't have the same legal rights as if bought from a shop. You could go to CAB for advice but ultimately you'd probably have to take her to small claims court and it really depends how much time and effort you are prepared to invest.
I would hazard a guess that the seller got it through a dodgy route and the story about the "new kitchen" was bullshit, but she didn't actually know it didn't work.

The woman knowingly sold an item that could never work. Calling OP a CF is misguided.

How do you know that she knew it couldn't work? She might have done, but equally, she might not, and in that scenario she's now thinking that the OP has broken it in the 6 month interim and that OP is the CF.

Ah crap, that's absolutely awful but given the time lapse there's very little you can do unfortunately.

Some people are just morally bankrupt.

After 2 bad experiences, I no longer huy anything privately. Too much of this shit goes on.

Your option is to take her to court.

The court will need evidence to show that beyond reasonable doubt she knew that the microwave was a display one.

Her defence will be "I didn't know" which is fair enough if she'd never had it wired in. But as she bought it as part of a kitchen, she could potentially go back to the retailer and make a claim under the Consumer Rights Act.

What exactly did the advert say?

At 6 months it's probably easier to just accept the loss, or you could chance sending her a "Letter Before Action" asking for a refund and you will return the microwave. You could state that you have a report saying it is missing components, and if her advert says anything about working condition you can then prove it was mis-sold. If the advert said it had never been used and didn't mention it working then I'd just accept the loss.

My oven has a demo mode. Does yours?

No, this oven doesn’t have demo mode, which I guess is why they have demo machines. I have emailed b&q to find out how /if they can be upgraded to functioning models, but not holding out much hope.

Looking back at the advert she said it was a new single built in oven and microwave. It said bought as part of a show kitchen. It didn’t say working- I had to check that & she replied that it was brand new. I think now it is sinking in that she actually knew...argghhh it makes me so angry ! If it had a plug I would have tested It immediately ,but sadly it needed to be wired in.

I didn't call the OP a CF. I said I could see the opposite/reverse post where the seller said they sold an oven on FB marketplace and now the person wants a refund six months later. We don't know the seller didn't know it wouldn't work.

Of course YABU.

It's not unreasonable to expect your money back, but also you're not going to get your money back.

6 months ? 6 days and you might have had a case.

She won't give you the money back, take it as lesson learned. I would not buy anything worth above about £20 on a place like that, there's so much risk and no kickback. Scummy thing to do though. She must have 'aquired' it by some dodgy means as why would a domestic home have a 'show' oven? I guess you can pester her and threaten with the small claims route? But she's blocked you and was probably using a fake name/ address anyway.

"If it had a plug I would have tested It immediately ,but sadly it needed to be wired in."

You could have added a plug - easy-peasy.

I think she knew. She was just biding her time.